A Tale of the Strangest Kind
by MammonDaughter
Summary: They have met before and now must work together. The future is not the one they know and the past has a way of catching up. As for the present, let's just hope that they survive till the morrow. Everything they know is about to change as they discover who they are and what is happening. Full warnings inside. You have been warned. Updates every Sunday.


**WARNING**

 **This story has themes not suited for children and is Rated M for a reason.**

 **If you are offended by underage rape/pregnancy, crude language, violence and other adult themes !LEAVE NOW!**

 **If your staying, cool. I haven't seen this alternative story line posted yet, so I thought I would give it a try. There are several things I have in mind and I just need to get them out of my head. Can't wait for FE: Fates to come out in Australia!**

* * *

Four travelers rode on horseback west to South Town. With no roads they followed a river over the soft hills and plains. The sun was hitting its peek. The air held a nice breeze and filled with-

"Are we there yet?" The sound of a certain princess who may or may not be strangled in the next few minutes.

.

The fourth member of the group rubbed her scared face in frustration. "If she doesn't stop that right now I will not be held responsible for my actions!"

The Great Knight (or Armored Nanny depending on who you talked to) looked at her with his death glare. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to harm Milady Lissa, Emily."

"Shove of Frederick." She responded, not even bothering to look at him. The culprit of Emily's headache laughed her silly little blond head off.

"Come on Chrom, back me up here! I thought you liked me enough not to subject me to this torture!" She complained.

The blue haired prince shook his head at the group's antics. With a knowing smile he said, "I don't know, Emily. All I know is if she doesn't stop, you will not be able to cook for us at the next camp."

Lissa's jaw dropped at the mere mention of Emily not cooking for them. Even Frederick paled at the thought, not that he would _ever_ admit it.

.

Just as Lissa was about to cry for Emily's forgiveness, Chrom shouted for everyone to halt. They followed his pointed arm to a small girl, no more than four, pointing a bronze short sword at them. The sight would be adorable, if not for the blood on her cloths.

"D-Don't come any cl-closer!" She yelled at them. Her brown hair getting in the way of her eyes.

Emily dismounted her horse, Ira, and stepped towards the girl with her arms raised.

"Stop!" Yelled the girl when Emily got to close for her liking.

"What's your name?" Emily asked the girl as she crouched to her height.

The girl looked unsure, debating to herself if she should tell or not.

"Emma," She answered in just above a whisper.

.

As Emily talked to Emma, the other three slowly dismounted and made their way behind Emily. Chrom and Frederick kept an eye on the surrounding area as Lissa watched the scene unravel.

"Well Emma," Said Emily. Pointing at everyone as she went, she said, "I'm Emily. This is Lissa and her big brother, Chrom. The last here is Frederick, he's charged as their guard."

.

Emma pointed the sword at Lissa, or more importantly at her staff.

"Can you heal my Mummy?" She asked her.

Lissa stepped forward next to Emily, "Yes, I can heal her. Where is she? I can't see her."

"She's over there," She showed them with her head.

Emily stood up and lowered her arms. She kept her hands open and showing, as she stepped closer to the girl.

"You want us to help your Mother?" Emily asked. The girl nodded. "Then you are going to need to put your sword down. You can keep it on you, just sheave it, OK?"

The little girl hesitated for a moment before sheaving her blade.

"Follow me." She said before taking of in a run.

The group looked at each other for a brief moment before grabbing their horses and following the child.

Xx()xX

Emma was kneeled next to her unconscious mother when the group caught up to her. When Lissa saw this she ran to the women and started checking her over. Emily fell unusually silent.

.

Lissa knelt down next to the woman and took out a book on healing. While she knew how to heal basic cuts and the like. Finding them under the skin was still a problem for her. She found the page quickly and followed what it said to do. After a moment, the spell showed all the injuries she had. Light bruising from her fall and a deep cut on her left hand from her sword. There was nothing else major.

"Is this how you got the blood on you?" Lissa asked Emma as she healed the cut.

The girl nodded, "I tried to stop the blood. Did I do it right?"

"Yes," Lissa said with a smile. "You stopped the bleeding just enough to save your mother from a lot of pain."

.

While Lissa took care of Emma's Mother, Chrom looked around. Seeing nothing but grass and trees, he turned to his guard.

"Do you see anyone Frederick?"

The Knight did a final look around before looking to his lord. "No Milord, but they could still be around. Just out of sight."

"I agree. Keep a watch out then."

"Always Milord." The Knight said before gripping his Axe a little tighter.

.

Chrom walked over to the left of his sister.

"How is she, Lissa?" He asked, concerned.

Without looking at him she answered, "She fell on her sword and cut her hand on it. Emma told me she tried to stop the bleeding with her shirt."

"Anything else wrong with her?"

The princess shock her head. "Apart from bruising from her fall, I can't find anything else wrong with her. It's as if she just collapsed without reason."

.

Chrom looked to the girl who kept looking between them and her mother.

"Emma," The girl focused on him. "Why is your mother on the ground like this? Can you tell me what happened?"

The girl stiffened as he asked. Tears started to fill her eyes and her voice was cracking. "We-We were eating by the river when Mummy told me to hide. I hid behind a tree while Mummy took her sword and went into the field. I-I-I heard her scream." By the end the girl couldn't talk any more due to her crying becoming to heavy. Lissa rushed around to her and took her into a hug. Emma cried into Lissa's clothing as Lissa stroked her hair gently.

.

Letting his little sister deal with the child, Chrom tried to get a look at Emma's Mother. Her hood and turned away face prevented that. So as gently as he could, he turned her face to him. At first he thought he was imaging things. He rubbed his eyes before looking again. Nope, he wasn't imagining it. It really was the same young women he met nearly six years ago. He knew they were about the same age, 20 now, but the child... Chrom had another look at Emma. She was rubbing the tears away from her eyes with Lissa's help. His heart broke as events came together in his mind.

 _'You poor child,'_ He thought, _'We should have done better by you.'_

Xx()xX

"You're strangely silent," Frederick observed. Emily look at him and gave him a week smile.

"I know. Just," She was visibly unconformable. "All of this reminds me on my own childhood. Before..."

.

Frederick nodded in understanding as he already knew the story. Suddenly lost in his thoughts he went back to when he first met the scared face woman a few years ago. The stranger, skilled as a Bow Knight, got on well with everyone she met. All the Shepherds, even the Exalt, seemed to trust her as if they had known her for years, not a few days. This made Frederic overprotective of the Royal family and even more paranoid of the woman. Who was she? Where did she come from? Why is she becoming too friendly with the Royal family. Her skills with a bow down to the way she smiled put him on edge. The confrontation was inevitable and painful for both of them. Yet by the end he trusted her with his life. Since then, he knew he could sleep soundly if Emily was on guard.

.

"Frederick?" He heard Emily's voice calling. Realising his attention was not on group's surrounding's like it should be he mentally kicked himself.

"Apologies Emily. I should have been paying attention."

Emily laughed, "About time you acted human. You, oh-"

Frederick followed Emily's gaze to his Lady taking the young girl into her arms. He watched his Lord turned Emma's mother's face to him. Frederick saw the confusion take over his Lord and watched him as he studied the child.

A moment later, Emma's mother started to stir. A loud moan came from her, alerting Emma to her mother's state.

"Mummy!?" The girl shouted as she push Lissa away to get to her mother. "Mummy! Mummy please wake up! Please! Mummy please!"

Emma started shaking her mother at the shoulder closest to her. Lissa tried to stop her, but was pushed away again. Her mother's head turned towards her as she opened her eyes. Emma smiled as she watched her mother rub her eyes before focusing on her. "Mummy? Are you OK?"

"Who- Who are you?"


End file.
